1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dispenser for solids and paste-like materials. This invention is particularly concerned with a dispenser which houses the actuating mechanism for the dispensing operation and which will dispense the materials in a metered fashion. More especially, this invention is directed to a dispenser which houses tubular and other containers of a yieldable material and keeps the contents thereof free from exposure to the air. This invention is especially concerned with the automated dispensation of paste-like materials in response to the application of pressure to a cover member whereby compression on an interiorly disposed tube causes the contents of said tube to be dispensed through an aperture in the housing of said tube to be dispensed through an aperture in the housing of the dispenser.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Numerous dispensers have thus far been provided and these dispensers have included numerous means for dispensing paste-like materials from a tube. For instance, it has been proposed to connect key like mechanisms to the end of a tooth-paste tube whereby the key when rotated takes up the material of the tube thereby creating internal pressure within, e.g., toothpaste tube which in turn causes the toothpaste to be dispensed through the opening in the tube. However, most, if not all of these dispensers suffer from the problem that the amount of paste dispensed from one dispensing operation to another not uniform. Children have a tendency to dispense too much or too little toothpaste, for instance, and thus parents cannot be assured that the proper amount of toothpaste is always employed during a dental prophylactic operation.
In the case of those dispensers which meter the amount of paste the operation has either been frought with mechanical problems or has involved an extensive apparatus of numerous mechanical parts impractical for home use. It therefore became desirable to provide a dispenser particulary useful in the home for the dispensation of paste-like materials. More especially it became desirable to provide a dispenser which could dispense both solid substances such as tablets as well as paste-like materials, e.g., toothpaste. More especially it became desirable to provide an apparatus which had varying apertures in its housing whereby the same apparatus could be used for a number of different tubes of different neck size.